1Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled # Or events that have been accomplished, or events most surely believed among us, # Rm 4:21; 14:5; Col 2:2; 4:12; 1Th 1:5; 2Tm 4:17; Heb 6:11; 10:222just as the original eyewitnesses # Jn 15:27; Ac 1:21; 2Pt 1:16; 1Jn 1:1 and servants of the word # Ac 26:16; 1Co 4:1; Heb 2:3 handed them down to us. 3It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable # Ac 23:26; 24:3; 26:25 Theophilus, # Ac 1:14so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed. # Or informed# Ac 18:25; Rm 2:18; 1Co 14:19; Gl 6:6

Gabriel Predicts John’s Birth

5In the days of King Herod # Mt 2:1 of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division # One of the 24 divisions of priests appointed by David for temple service; 1Ch 24:10# 1Ch 24:10 named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both were righteous in God’s sight, # Gn 7:1; Ac 2:25; 8:21 living without blame # Php 2:15; 3:6; 1Th 3:13 according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. 7But they had no children # Lit child because Elizabeth could not conceive, # Lit Elizabeth was sterile or barren and both of them were well along in years. # Lit in their days# Gn 4:1; 18:11; Jdg 13:2-3; 1Sm 1:2; 2:20; Ps 113:9; 127:3-5; Heb 11:11-12

8When his division was on duty # 1Ch 24:19; 2Ch 8:14; 31:2 and he was serving as priest before God, 9it happened that he was chosen by lot, # Jos 18:6,8,10; 1Ch 24:31; 25:8; 26:13-14; Neh 10:34; 11:1; Ac 1:26 according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. # Ex 30:7-810At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11An angel of the Lord # Mt 2:13-14; 28:2; Lk 2:9; Ac 5:19; 8:26; 12:7 appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. # Mk 16:5; Ac 2:3312When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear. # Lit and fear fell on him# Gn 21:17; Jdg 6:22-23; 2Kg 1:15; Mt 1:20; 28:5; Lk 2:10; Ac 10:3-4; 27:23-2413But the angel said to him:

18“How can I know this? ” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” # Lit in her days

19The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, # Dn 8:16; 9:21; Lk 1:26 who stands in the presence of God, # Mt 18:10 and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. 22When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them # Lk 1:62 and remained speechless. 23When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.

24After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, 25“The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace # Gn 30:23; Is 4:1; 25:8 among the people.”

Gabriel Predicts Jesus’ Birth

26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel # Lk 1:19 was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, # Mt 2:2327to a virgin engaged # Dt 21:23; Is 7:14; Mt 1:18,23 to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. # Mt 1:20; Lk 2:4 The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” # Other mss add blessed are you among women29But she was deeply troubled # Lk 1:12 by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30Then the angel told her:

Do not be afraid, Mary, # Mt 14:27; Lk 1:13

for you have found favor with God. # Gn 6:8; Ex 33:12-17; Jr 31:2

31Now listen:

You will conceive and give birth to a son,

and you will call His name Jesus. # Is 7:14; Mt 1:21,25; Lk 2:21

32He will be great

and will be called the Son of the Most High, # Lk 1:35,76; 3:38; 6:35; 8:28; 9:35; Jn 1:34,49; 11:27; Ac 7:48

33He will reign over the house of Jacob # Ex 19:3; Ps 114:1; Is 14:1; 29:22; 46:3 forever,

and His kingdom will have no end. # Is 9:6 LXX; Dn 7:14

34Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man? ” # Lit since I do not know a man

35The angel replied to her:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, # Mt 1:18

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore, the holy One to be born

will be called the Son of God. # Mt 14:33; Lk 4:3,9,41; 22:70

36And consider your relative Elizabeth — even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” # Gn 18:14; Lk 18:27

38“I am the Lord’s slave,” # Lit Look, the Lord’s slave said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth

39In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, # Lit leaped in her abdomen or womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. # Lk 1:67; Ac 2:4; 4:8; 9:17; 13:942Then she exclaimed with a loud cry:

“You are the most blessed of women,

and your child will be blessed! # Lit and the fruit of your abdomen (or womb) is blessed

43How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me! # Lit in my abdomen or womb45She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled! ”

56And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

The Birth and Naming of John

57Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy, # Lit the Lord magnified His mercy with her# Gn 19:19 and they rejoiced with her.

59When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, # Gn 17:12; Lv 12:3; Lk 2:21; Php 3:5 they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60But his mother responded, “No! He will be called John.” # Lk 1:13,63

61Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62So they motioned to his father # Lk 1:22 to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote:

HIS NAME IS JOHN.

And they were all amazed. 64Immediately his mouth was opened # Lk 1:20 and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66All who heard about him # Ac 11:21 took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become? ” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

67Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit # Lk 1:41 and prophesied: # Jl 2:28